"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."- John Dewey.
From the job market to tertiary education, from UPSR to A-Levels, Education in Malaysia focuses on bringing you the latest news and analysis on our nation's best bet on the future.

Friday, March 31, 2006

UM VC Appointment Ding Dongs

Hmm... impressive. Our local English dailies trying to outdo each other in their reports on the to-be-vacant position at Universiti Malaya (UM). Two days ago, the Star first reported a shortlist of 6-8 candidates - trumping the New Straits Times (NST) who are usually on top in news on the higher education in the country. Then the NST came up with an alleged announcement that Dr Sharifah Hapsah has been appointed the first woman vice-chancellor of UM and the country. But that's not the end of it. Today, as rightly pointed out by a reader earlier, the Star published that whatever NST reported the day before was absolute rubbish!

What drama! I really wonder what NST will rebut tomorrow. Hmmm...

Anyway, the Star reported that:

Universiti Malaya deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Razali Agus has been appointed acting vice-chancellor following the departure of Prof Datuk Dr Hashim Yaacob, whose tenure, has ended... The ministry said it was currently looking for a suitable candidate to head the university and an announcement would be made in a month.

That's possibly a good piece of news for it appears that there is some indication that the Ministry of Higher Education is putting a little more effort to select the right candidate to replace the soon-to-be former vice-chancellor of UM.

Just possibly, Dr Terence Gomez's little wish that a proper search committee is set up (or some way towards a "proper" one) might come true. Dr Gomez, currently on unpaid leave from UM, working at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva, supported the call by the secretary of the Universiti Malaya Academic Staff Association, Rosli Omar's for the institutionalisation of an independent search and evaluation committee for vice-chancellors.

Rosli's public appeal for the creation of an independent committee to review the performance of vice-chancellors and to appoint competent and respected academics to this important post is courageous and timely.

I expect that the current impasse over the appointment of the new vice-chancellor as well as the surprising news "deviation" between the two of the country's mainstream English newspapers to indicate that there is a tussle on-going behind the scenes. More interestingly, if we were to read between the lines, the out-going vice-chancellor did indicate in an earlier report, that the Prime Minister was responsible for the non-renewal of his contract.

"I'm sure the decision made by the Prime Minister is for the best," he said.

Maybe I'm just reading a little too much into this, but could it possibly be the Prime Minister nudging the Ministry of Higher Education to conduct a independent and thorough search for the best man (or woman) for the task at Universiti Malaya? After all, this search and evaluation committee will surely meet with less resistance and political implications than the other hotly debated and controversial committee?

Ministry of higher education yesterday published the proclamation to indicate that, the higher education department appointed the horse university student business department to hold as acting appointment Assistant Director Razali Agus is Principal Ma Dadai, the tenure in office is a month. Razali Agus has the extremely obvious parties and groups background and the tendency. He in has not held the post the horse university student business department holds as acting appointment in front of assistant director, already was the helmsman which the horse big school authorities responsibly holds the plate campus election every year. In campus election period, he continuously acts kisses the school authorities clique the pulling strings from behind the sce, as well as makes an appointment with kisses the student clique leaders, carries on "to them patriotically to educate the persuasive speaker work which" urges them to change job makes a political recantation. Incumbent horse university student business department assistant book official Zhang Shengguo originally is the front student representative which kisses the student clique under, is instigates in Razali Agus is separated from kisses the student clique, establishes another to kiss the school authorities the person of Chinese descent student politics association, assists the school authorities to achieve to the student makes the student, to the person of Chinese descent lives splits the person of Chinese descent to live, and instills into the person of Chinese descent fresh race group selfish departmentalism, facilitates the horse big school authorities to implement divides and rules hides the agenda. The university leadership's human affairs arrange always to fill the black box work, although between the work place was rumored that will be able to have a feminine academic personnel to entrust for incumbent Principal Ma Da, but so long as a day high ministry of education has not beaten time makes a final decision the candidate foreign to make the official announcement, all still filled the variable. Much less Wu Qingtuan continuously positively seeps the university campus, they can allow a background to be pure, the standpoint neutrality, possibly stops Wu Qing further to incorporate the student influence public figure to manage most has the junior college student politics ideological trend target significance the horse big campus? Very possible, the witch series interior as well as in the horse big campus all quarters solicit assignment duty was promoted the cake political mobilization and the seesaw battle only then just starts. Did not forget, was expensive is head of country prime ministers all may establish the police after the pledge independently to sue and investigates chairman to renege on a promise, much less only had the full street rumor, but higher education minister also not personally confirmed appoints the news? Was promoted the tradition according to the recent years national university's duty, university principal usually can hold as acting appointment in assistant director in 3 universities to produce. But extremely has the ambition Razali Agus entrusts for generation of principal the period, he has the extremely big authority and the resources comes the result which strives for oneself goes too far to pave the way for

some of the terms translated could be a little confusing. just to clear things up, "principal ma dadai" should be translated as acting deputy VC, "wu qing tuan"/"wu qing" is UMNO youth.actually, "ma da" is UM, if anyone was asking.